Students and parents encouraged to make good use of NCCU scholarship programme

The National Co-operative Credit Union Limited (NCCU) is urging students who have received NCCU secondary school scholarships, and their parents, to take advantage of the opportunity which is being provided.

The NCCU on Thursday, August 14, presented scholarships to seventeen (17) students who will attend secondary school in the new academic year under the institution’s Secondary School Scholar.

Chief Executive Officer of NCCU, Aylmer Irish, speaking at the presentation ceremony, highlighted the NCCU’s success in being able to transform lives through the scholarship programme.

He urged students to remember that, “success of your educational journey can be achieved only if you resolve to do your utmost, making yourself proud, your parents’ happier and bringing gratification to members of the NCCU.”

He stated that, to many students, access to secondary education may not have been possible without the intervention of the NCCU. He continued, “We believe that it is our responsibility to provide access to secondary school education for as many students as possible.”

“This is another demonstration of being true to our tagline, ‘one big family,” Irish pointed out, admonishing parents to recognize that the awards are also granted to them.

“Therefore your challenge is to provide guidelines to the awardees throughout their challenging educational journey.”

President of the Board of Directors of NCCU, Josephine Dublin encouraged students to get involved in community activities and urged parents to instill in their children a love for learning.

“Teach them that it is alright to fail, but they must try again and do so and desire to do better,” Dublin stated…”Pay attention to what is happening in your children’s lives.”

Two (2) merit scholarships were awarded: to Anyeila K J Birmingham, who received the NCCU Ltd’s Merit Scholarship and Lizanne Cuffy, who was awarded the Shand Jolly Merit Scholarship. Each scholarship is for a period of five (5) years and for a 6th year, where applicable, based on extenuating circumstances.

Fifteen (15) other scholarships were presented in the names of credit union pioneers or volunteers, who provided and in some instances continue to provide committed service to the credit union movement. These pioneers include Haynes Baptiste, Vernice Bellony, Ambrose Cuffy, Edward Elwin, Myrtle Hilton, Kenneth Richards, Hudson Savarin, Johnson Joseph George Thomas and Marie Wilkins.

And for the first time, the NCCU Ltd awarded The Derrick Lestrade scholarship, named after a credit union pioneer from the village of La Plaine. The Derrick Lestrade Scholarship will be awarded annually to children of members from La Plaine and the surrounding villages.

The students were selected from a group of 160 applicants.

Since the establishment of the Credit Union on November 1st 2010 the total number of scholarships available per annum has more than doubled, from 7 then to 17 in 2020, averaging about 15 per year since the programme’s inception.

When the new academic year begins, the total of NCCU scholarship recipients will be 73.

So far, the NCCU has spent a total of over $85,000 on its scholarship programme.

The scholarships cover the provision of textbooks and other school supplies to a maximum of $700, an annual uniform allowance of $300, the payment of school fees ranging from $50 to $525, and the provision of a monthly transport allowance ranging from $50 to $80 where applicable, among other expenses.